SELLING undercooked food from unhygienic premises has cost a Stockton takeaway operator more than £2,000 following an appearance at Teesside Magistrates Court today. (Photos on Flickr)
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Wajid Hussain, aged 35 of Bowesfield Lane, Stockton, pleaded guilty to five food hygiene offences relating to the Azad Tandoori and Pizzeria, also on Bowesfield Lane.
During a routine visit in April last year, Stockton Council food safety officers found much of the premises to be filthy and warned Mr Hussain he would face formal action if standards did not improve.
But, after receiving two complaints about undercooked meals, a further inspection on 7 September revealed hygiene levels they described as ‘totally unacceptable’.
Cooked béchamel sauce had been left to cool in an open container in the filthy rear yard and a storeroom contained spilt food and a decomposing cabbage. Food preparation and storage areas had grease, dirt and food debris on walls, floors and surfaces and the cooking range, microwave and refrigerated units were unclean.
No food management system was evident and high-risk foods were being stored at incorrect temperatures. A display fridge operating at more than 15oC contained cooked meat kebabs which should have been kept at or below 8oC to slow bacteria growth. A hot display cabinet holding cooked chicken was operating at 32oC – around half the 63oC required.
Staff discarded filthy reusable cloths during the visit and a hand-basin had no soap or hand drying facilities. None of the five food handlers working at the time of the inspection had any food hygiene training and their knowledge and practices were poor.
The Council instructed Mr Hussain to start an immediate deep clean of the premises, which was under way when officers revisited the following day.
He failed to attend three interview dates, finally doing so on 14 December when he accepted he had neither put in place a food management system nor ensured his food handlers were appropriately trained.
In mitigation, Mr Hussain said it was a new business and he did not realise what standards were expected of him.
He said he had completed a food hygiene course and now realised the standards had been unacceptable. Mr Hussain said he now worked seven nights a week to ensure equipment was cleaned regularly.
With assistance of the Council’s food safety team, he has implemented a food safety management system.
Since then, environmental health staff have paid further visits to inspect the premises and provide advice. However, the takeaway continues to require improvements to comply with the legislation.
The Court fined Mr Hussain a total of £1,000 and he must also pay £1,153 in costs and a £15 victim surcharge, a total of £2,168.
Councillor Steve Nelson, Stockton Council’s Cabinet Member for Housing and Community Safety, said: “People have the right to expect high food hygiene standards wherever they eat, yet standards of food hygiene at this takeaway were totally unacceptable.
“As the food business operator, Mr Hussain is responsible for ensuring everyone working there complies with the law and keeps good standards of hygiene.
“Our environmental health officers work constantly to inspect food premises because If owners and food business operators flout the law they can expect the Council to take action to protect the public.”
• To check the results of food hygiene inspections across the Borough and further afield you can visit www.food.gov.uk/ratings where premises are given ratings.
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